TV Choice and Competition Near for Residents of Three More New York Communities

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Municipalities in Mid-Hudson Region and on Long Island Approve Video Franchises for Verizon

November 7, 2008

NEW YORK --Residents of three more New York communities are a major step closer to having a real choice for their cable television service, thanks to newly approved agreements authorizing Verizon to offer its FiOS TV service, delivered over the most advanced fiber-optic network straight to customers' homes.

The village of Port Washington North in Nassau County, and the Town of Fishkill and the City of Poughkeepsie in Dutchess County all recently granted video franchises to Verizon, paving the way for video choice in these communities. 

The latest approvals bring to 141 the total number of New York municipalities that have authorized Verizon to provide FiOS TV service.  

"This is great news for residents of these three communities, who now will have a new choice for their video entertainment," said Andrés Irlando, Verizon senior vice president for the New York region. 

"Consumers in Port Washington North, Fishkill and Poughkeepsie will be able to choose their cable provider as easily as they choose their phone company.  Competition like this drives innovation and value and puts the consumer in control, and we will compete aggressively for customers in these areas," he said.

As with all local franchise approvals in New York, the agreements between Verizon and the three communities are subject to review by the New York State Public Service Commission.

Verizon's FiOS TV is a formidable competitor to cable and satellite, offering a broad collection of all-digital programming, up to 100 high-definition (HD) channels in the New York market and access to more than 11,000 video-on-demand (VOD) titles, 8,500 of which are free.  The VOD library also includes an increasing number of HD titles.

Verizon's fiber network delivers amazingly sharp pictures and sound, and has the capacity to transmit a wide array of high-definition programming that is so clear and intense it seems to leap from the TV screen.  In addition to FiOS TV, Verizon's fiber network also delivers Internet download speeds of up to 50 Mbps (megabits per second) and upload speeds of up to 20 Mbps, as well as high-quality voice service.*

Port Washington North, the Town of Fishkill and the City of Poughkeepsie join a growing list of New York communities that are paving the way for competition and choice in the television market.  In addition to these three communities, Verizon has been granted video franchises in the following municipalities:

City of New York

Long Island

Amityville, Massapequa Park, Cedarhurst, Laurel Hollow, Lynbrook, Mineola, East Hills, East Rockaway, Farmingdale, Valley Stream, Freeport, Williston Park, New Hyde Park, Sands Point, Bayville, Old Field, Floral Park, South Floral Park, Garden City, Nissequogue, Northport, Poquott, East Williston, Head of the Harbor, Hewlett Bay Park, Mill Neck, Stewart Manor, Centre Island, Lawrence, Lindenhurst, Malverne, Manorhaven, Huntington Bay, The Branch, Oyster Bay Cove, Flower Hill, Great Neck, Great Neck Estates, Great Neck Plaza, Kensington, Kings Point, Lake Success, Munsey Park, North Hills, Plandome, Plandome Heights, Plandome Manor, Rockville Centre, Roslyn, Roslyn Estates, Roslyn Harbor, Russell Gardens, Saddle Rock, Thomaston, Bellerose, Lloyd Harbor, Baxter Estates, Hempstead, Cove Neck and Brightwaters; and the towns of North Hempstead, Huntington, Smithtown, Hempstead, Oyster Bay, Islip and Babylon.

Westchester County

Ardsley, Dobbs Ferry, Tarrytown, Irvington, Greenburgh, Eastchester, Mount Kisco, Elmsford, Port Chester, Tuckahoe, White Plains, Rye Brook, North Castle, Mount Vernon, Mount Pleasant, Yonkers, Scarsdale, Bronxville, New Rochelle, Cortlandt, Peekskill, Buchanan, Rye, Larchmont, the Village of Mamaroneck, the Town of Mamaroneck, New Castle, Pelham Manor, Sleepy Hollow, Briarcliff Manor, the Town of Ossining, the Village of Ossining and the Town of Yorktown.

Rockland County

Nyack, South Nyack, Upper Nyack, Grandview-on-Hudson, Clarkstown, Orangetown, Piermont, Airmont, the Town of Haverstraw, West Haverstraw, Chestnut Ridge, Ramapo, Spring Valley, Stony Point, the Village of Haverstraw, Suffern, Hillburn, Wesley Hills, Montebello, New Hempstead and Pomona.

Dutchess County

Wappinger, Wappingers Falls and Village of Fishkill

Orange County

Town of Newburgh and City of Newburgh

Erie County

Amherst, Blasdell, Village of Hamburg, Town of Hamburg, West Seneca, Tonawanda, Village of Orchard Park, Town of Orchard Park and Kenmore.

Putnam County

Kent

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), headquartered in New York, is a leader in delivering broadband and other wireline and wireless communication innovations to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers.  Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving nearly 71 million customers nationwide.  Verizon's Wireline operations include Verizon Business, which delivers innovative and seamless business solutions to customers around the world, and Verizon Telecom, which brings customers the benefits of converged communications, information and entertainment services over the nation's most advanced fiber-optic network.  A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of more than 228,000 and last year generated consolidated operating revenues of $93.5 billion.  For more information, visitwww.verizon.com.

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Media Contact:

Richard Young, 212-321-0500

http://newscenter.verizon.com/press-releases/verizon/2008/tv-choice-and-competition-20.html